Pastries in Paradise

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! To most Americans (Irish ancestry or not), the day is likely spent sporting green colored clothing, eating corned beef & cabbage, and having an excuse to drink way too much Guinness or Bailey’s. This St. Patty’s Day I chose to make a boozy delight to honor the famous Irish stout, Guinness. These brownies are named after the well-known drink of the same name made up of part Guinness part Lager, however it would be wise to never order this drink in Ireland. If you happen to make that mistake you may be met with a bit of anger as the drink shares the same name as the British soldiers that were sent to Ireland to fight back the Irish rebels in the Easter Rising of 1916.

I will admit these brownies did not turn out quite as planned but rather than hide it I will share it so that others do not make similar mistakes. I expected the brownies to be a bit taller as I used straight from the bottle Guinness as opposed to flat. The problem likely occurred due to my little kitchen helper getting overzealous with the stirring of the batter. My second issue arose completely at the fault of my own. The brownies were not quite the texture I desire of a brownie. They resembled more of a cake-like bar and even seemed as if they were undercooked despite being left in the oven 5 extra minutes than intended. I think this was a result of using a glass baking pan instead of metal. This is only a theory though as it was the only difference compared to when I usually prepare brownies. Regardless of my few errors these were still delicious. Most desserts that claim to be boozy you can never taste the alcohol after it cooks but with these you definitely feel it. Give them a try!

Boozy Black & Tan Brownies

Tan Brownies Ingredients:

6 tbsp. Unsalted Butter; softened

1 ½ cups Brown Sugar; packed

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

4.5 oz. (1 cup) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

¼ tsp. Salt

½ cup Chopped Walnuts

Black Brownies Ingredients:

3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate; finely chopped

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 cup Guinness Stout

4.5 oz. (1 cup) All-Purpose Flour

¼ tsp. Salt

Preparation:

Place one oven rack in lower third of oven and move 2nd rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan (preferably metal) with nonstick cooking spray.

To prepare tan brownies, place 6 tbsp. butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Combine 4.5 oz. flour, baking powder, and ¼ tsp. salt. Add flour mixture and walnuts to sugar mixture, beating until just combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula or other utensil. Bake for 15 minutes on lower rack.

Meanwhile, to prepare black brownies, melt chocolate and 4 tbsp. butter in a large microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute (or until melted), stirring in 20 second intervals until smooth. Add sugar, stirring until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Combine flour and salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over cooked tan layer of brownies, making sure not to spread the batter and combine it with the tan layer.

Bake brownies on center rack for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares to serve.